The Extra's
by Smidge-of-the-ocity1
Summary: What is it like living in Gotham? Well you could ask anyone but perhaps a look into the lives of the little people can put things into perspective. After all, a good show needs a support and the extra's have their own stories to tell
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: ****I've always been interested in people who aren't Batman or Robin or a villain. The citizens of Gotham who are just there and the things they do that could only be done in Gotham. **

** DISCLAIMER: I don't own Batman or anything related to DC comics. I DO own the OC's, I created Alice, Abby, Lola, and Ms. Dunn for anybody who might not be able to tell but I seriously doubt that someone would not know who is DC owned or original. **

** On another note, REVIEW! It's my first story, OH MY GOSH ITS MY FIRST STORY! Wow... Anyways, please don't flame. But I'll accept constructive criticism. Flaming will do nothing but irritate me, it won't magically change the story to your liking.**

Abby Halicker cringed as the sound of an explosion from the other side of the city still rocked her apartment. The Joker was really going all out with this one, not hard to tell, what with all the streamers, balloons, the _'BATSY' _sign, and deranged laugh track. Harley Quinn could be heard through a microphone, directing Joker's goons and singing the mad-clown's praises. Abby could never understand why they didn't just send the man to Blackgate. It shouldn't matter anymore that he's absolutely bleedin' insane; he'd already blown up half the city and ended countless lives. Besides, it looked like he knew full well what he was doing and didn't care a single bit. Maybe that's why the people at Arkham wanted him there; he was probably considered some pet project of theirs that they had to see who could "cure" him and then get lots and lots of money.

There was a traffic jam down below and it looked like someone was using it to start even more anarchy. Abby desperately hoped it wasn't the Joker or one of the "big bad guys", she really wanted to keep this apartment. It was very nice, creepy stalkers and angry couple up above aside.

The sun was setting; Abby had wanted to go for a walk to the corner store down the road but it looked like that wasn't happening anytime soon. A bloodcurdling scream sounded out and Abby resisted looking because that only paints a bull's-eye on your person. The best the terrified woman could do was call the cops, Abby picked up the phone and dialed 911. Probably not unlike the other people in her building, suddenly someone was reciting Lewis Carroll's _Alice and Wonderland_ and calling for Alice. Abby groaned, it was the Mad Hatter and that spelled trouble. She hoped the little girl up the stairs would stay put because she was in enough trouble as it is. Her name was Alice and she was the sweetest thing in the entire world, even though her mom and dad were polar opposites. It's been strongly implied that the Mad Hatter might be a pedophile and Abby made a very prompt decision. With the stealth every Gotham Citizen honed very, very quickly she managed to make her way upstairs to Apartment C1. The police may be on their way but that wasn't going to stop Jervis Tetch.

"Lola, is Alice safe? Lola?" Abby said this as loud but also as quiet as she could. She really wouldn't be surprised if the man outside had trained his ears to be Superman's whenever the name _Alice _was mentioned.

Lola was Alice's surrogate older sister and baby-sitter. She and Abby had a plan for this day, though they had hoped the day would never come. Lola answered the door, she had Alice held close and the young girl herself was dead quiet. They'd alerted her to the fact that the Mad Hatter was someone to be super-duper extra careful of, the poor child was even more terrified than Lola and Abby were.

Mrs. Dunn from across the way opened her door. She calmed down slightly when she saw it was only Lola, Abby, and Alice.

"Ali can hide in here! My rooms don't face the street and I can fight!" Lola and Abby had had no clue where to hide and breathed sighs of relief.

"Thank you Mrs. Dunn." So with lighter hearts Abby, Lola, Mrs. Dunn, and Alice sat in Apartment C12. Alice was in the bedroom with Lola keeping watch. She had fallen asleep. A yelp sounded out from outside. It was the Mad Hatter.

"Robin, its Robin" they heard someone shout happily. Abby closed her eyes in fear. "Don't come for Alice, no, no, no!" Shots rang out like fireworks and Abby winced as she heard Alice crying and Lola's murmurings.

"We've got him! Hatter down!" the relieved cries from a policeman rang out, but the women didn't cheer just yet. The Mad Hatter was a supervillain, he could escape. It looked like luck was on the peoples sides in this part of Gotham. The police sirens were far away now and Abby could hear people out there, picking back up the pieces as usual and going on with life as best they could. She let out a breath she didn't even now she'd been holding. Mrs. Dunn looked so aged, well, more than usual. Lola came out with Alice and was sobbing.

Abby went back to her apartment by the street. Alice was safe, Abby was safe, Lola was safe, and everyone else was safe. Maybe, Abby couldn't say everyone was but at least a small portion was. Abby knew she should probably just move to New York or something. She should be packing and calling up friends and saying bye but Abby couldn't do it. She'd spent her life in Gotham. It was ugly, it stunk, the people could be absolutely horrid, and hers and other citizen's lives were constantly endangered but something kept Abby back. Maybe it was Alice she didn't know. All Abby knew was that she had a little girl to keep an eye on, a job to get to in the morning, and sleep to catch up on.

Tonight wouldn't be so bad… The news woman looked uncharacteristically cheerful. Apparently the Joker and Quinn had been apprehended and were now wedged into their personal little padded cells at Arkham. Just like the Hatter.

"It looks like it'll be a silent night folks, rest easier because thanks to this cities protector's, Batman and Robin, several dangerous individuals are put away for a bit. Let's hope for forever!" Abby knew the last part wouldn't happen. Every citizen knew that. The infants probably knew, somehow. Abby was working on that statement…

Sleep claimed Abby swiftly, faster than any other night had ever actually. And when she awoke the next morning, the news report said that Mr. Freeze had frozen the entire city, again. Abby only sighed and reached for her ice skates. Her boss would be selling, ice or not, school would go on. Every kid over the age of 7 actually had school-issued ice skates. One of the things that could only be in Gotham, the world outside would gape but nobody here cared. In fact, she needed to go. Business men do _not_ like to wait for their coffee.

**I like the idea that people in Gotham eventually just go "we're cool with it but also not cool with it." Mr. Freeze has frozen the city and the Joker is terrorizing people and robbing banks! Well, better get my sled/skates I hope that the Joker doesn't come around I like my apartment and living, and I'm not going to the bank today am I? Sad but kind of cool, no pun intended. Their emergency drills include all the usual ones and a bunch of newer Gotham-specific drills like Fear-gas drills. They aren't totally blaze about the whole thing though so remember that! **


	2. Chapter 2

**In the Sun's Hands**

It looked like Gotham would see yet another cloud ridden, dreary day. Lewis Delie shivered though not for reasons one would think. The air in Gotham was actually quite warm and muggy but anyone would be tense with fear if they lived in Gotham City, it was a given.

Unfortunately, clenching the taser in his pocket won't do much good against the person about to attack Lewis but he doesn't know that.

Lewis' back stiffened immediately when he felt the all to common gun barrel pushed up against his back, taunting him.

"Empty your pockets, now!" The voice behind the gun said harshly. Lewis wanted to yell and scream but he was being held at gunpoint. The assailant was a type Lewis knew, everybody in Gotham knew that most muggers with guns tended to like shooting people, cooperation or not. It seemed Lewis wasn't responding fast enough for the horrible man as there was a click and Lewis swore up and down that the man was grinning like some sicko, if only he could see the guy.

"I- I'm going, I'm going!" Lewis' mind raced to keep himself alive but he could feel the cold steel of the gun now as it seemed to dig further and further into his back. _Bad move Lewis, bad, bad move! Don't twitch! _Lewis finally dug out his wallet from the impossible thing that was his pockets. He dropped it, _Keep CALM Lewis, breath! In and out, in and out… _Carefully, Lewis emptied his pockets and bent down to pick up the wallet when his attacker grabbed the back of his shirt!

"Don't move or I'll shoot you!" Lewis noticed for the first time that the man had a slight slur. He was… Drugged! This was worse, the man was probably hallucinating and crazy and, Lewis was going to die! This was it, he was going to never see his poor, poor sister and family and Jordy, his dog. He was going feel the bullet go through him and then everything would be dead. Maybe he could write out a will in the dust and dirt on the sidewalk or something. Lewis closed his eyes and breathed in, ready for it. But all he heard was a whump noise, a very strangled, muffled yell from his assailant, and the sound of a, zipline?

Lewis slowly turned around to see his attacker on the floor of the dank alleyway in which he was in front of, quivering and tied up. The man had a mask on and the gun was now right next to Lewis' foot. Lewis had to squint his eyes, the sun was coming up and the alleyway had a direct view of the rising star. Then finally Lewis saw his saviour, it wasn't Batman or Robin nor any other famous heroes. It was a young woman from what he could see. She wore a pinned up dress and an intricately painted mask. Her hair was long, dark, and cascaded like a waterfall down her back. Then suddenly, it was as if the sun's fiery arms had wrapped around her tall form and carried her off to places unknown. Lewis' savior was gone as quick as she'd been there.

Lewis shook himself from his daze, he was in an alleyway with a tied up and now unconscious mugger. _911 911 911_ repeated in Lewis' head and he picked up his thankfully intact and OK phone and dialed for the police...

_ This incident would mark the first clear description of the snappy dressing vigilante who has yet to be named by the general populace. More sightings would come in but strangely enough they never really went city-wide._

** I took an idea and ran with it though I'm not sure about adding this new hero. Also besides the whole "please review" thing could I get some superhero names? I'm having a bit of trouble making some up. **

** Basically I feel that while there is the Bat family AND all the villains there has to be some people who feel they need to either help protect Gotham or help cause absolute chaos for whatever reason. So there you have it! BUT, they aren't rich or anything like that so these people are confined to certain areas of the city due to the fact that they can't take time off to practice as some are struggling to hold down jobs and the like. Also, my hero deals with small crimes and maybe a few gangs. Her "suit" is rather mismatched in some places and she has to save up a lot of money for what she needs! _HINT/Spoiler: She works at a restaurant and is an artist, that doesn't exactly spell "good money" all the time._ **

** One more thing to end this uber long authors note! Abby from the first chapter is the main character so the story will focus on her more than others. But this is a story about the citizens and I don't just want Abby's thoughts about everything as you can see. She can't experience everything that happens.**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Just an interlude between all the doom and gloom of Gotham...**_

**Mornings, Movies, and Madness**

The sun was up and there was no yelling upstairs, Abby considered this a rather good sign. It meant that the day might be quiet and she wouldn't have to walk to work in the rain! Abby got up, happier than usual, and went to grab something to eat. But something stopped her in her tracks; the clock said it was 11:30 am! She felt like she was going to have a heart attack. Of course it was quiet upstairs, the couple was never in their apartment at this time of day and her Wednesday shifts always started at 12 pm.

Abby ran to the bathroom, her mind was on autopilot and she was already brushing her teeth and putting on shoes when the phone rang.

"Shit" She yelped through all the toothpaste. Abby hobbled over to the phone, shoving the uncomfortable work-shoe on her foot and spitting the toothpaste into the kitchen sink.

"Hello?" Abby knew she probably sounded crazed as the person on the other end "ermed" uncomfortably.

"Hey Abby, Dora here, _Cosmos Dots _comes out in theaters today! You wanna go?' Abby felt her jaw drop." Dora, you're asking if I want to go to the cinema and see an awesome movie and have a girl's day and WE both have work!" Dora started laughing. Abby huffed, her best friend was laughing at her for worrying about work. This was usually the other way around!

"John gave everybody the day off! He called everybody this morning, didn't you get the call?" Dora asked between laughs. Abby scowled, "No, I didn't get the…Call!" Abby's mind went back to sometime in the early morning. She had gotten a call from John! It was all so foggy but then again, Abby was never awake too early on Wednesdays. She vaguely remembered John telling her to stay home today… Oh, oh dear!

"Abby, are you there?" Dora had calmed down now and was asking worriedly. Abby had become lost in thought.

"I'm here, I'm here! I barely remember the phone call though." Abby sighed. Dora was probably smiling like a maniac on the other end, Abby didn't care. If _Cosmos Dots_ was out today there was no way she would miss it!

The phone conversation lasted for a few more minutes until Abby finally got Dora to stop babbling about how the new guy for the reboot of the movie better be as great looking as William Pushwolf. Abby marveled at her best friends obsession with the man, he was pretty old by now but Dora wouldn't care if he was suddenly turned into a hippo, she would love the man even more!

**_I snuck in some Spaceballs in here, albeit under different names. It is a fictional universe! I figured something nice and happy needed to be put in here, life in Gotham has ups and downs, you take what you can get!_**


	4. Chapter 4

**And the Storm goes on, and on, and on and...**

The sky was darker than usual and Abby could see a vague outline of the moon through the haze of pollution that hung over Gotham like a funeral pall. It looked like Abby had taken a longer nap than she planned which wasn't anything to worry about as work had finished early and everybody else was busy.

Abby decided then that she really needed a cup of tea, something to calm her. She had felt anxious all day and thought maybe a nap would help but evidently it changed nothing. With this in mind Abby made her tea and sat down to watch the news. Nothing good was on until 9pm which was when they were showing a cartoon marathon (Abby ate those up!).

This usually meant resigning oneself to the news which while often depressing was better than watching Debra Wells and whatever "star" she had managed to cast her inescapable net over and bring in like an expert fisherman. Getting Abby to even spare a glance at "Around the Block with Debra" was like trying to eat a rock, painful and utterly pointless.

Tonight's news was on a recent almost-break out from Arkham which was thankfully stopped quickly and a string of robberies in the area. Abby paid some attention to that and tuned out the drivel being spouted about whatever stunt was pulled by the predictably "fallen from grace" celebrity trying to get the nation's attention. Dahlia Heprey came on to deliver another report this time on gang violence rising in Gotham (Since when has it not been rising?) and the buying of several up and coming and succeeding companies by the ever popular Bruce Wayne.

Finally Abby switched channels to Cartoons for Kids because the news was devolving into celebrity gossip. Cartoons for Kid's (CFK) had been playing old reruns of Mr. Frog Hops Along since 7:30 which Abby could tolerate to a certain point. It would be 9 soon so Mr. Frog would not be hopping on her screen for much longer.

Just as Abby went to sit back down and wait for the marathon she came to a terrifying realization. She had been doing basically the same thing almost every night and it was absolutely depressing!

Suddenly a very loud and annoying beeping sound started coming from the television. It read "DO NOT GO OUTSIDE, SEVERE STORM AND FLOOD WARNING! DO NOT GO OUTSIDE, STAY INSIDE OR FIND COVER! CHANNEL SEVEN FOR MORE INFORMATION!" Abby switched to channel seven to see the weatherman shifting around uncomfortably trying to explain the freak weather. The huge map behind him showed a big angry red blot over the area of New Jersey that was Gotham.

"As you can see folks it seems we have a very sudden, um, storm coming in here!" The weatherman himself looked flabbergasted at the speed the storm seemed to be arriving.

Abby turned towards to window to see absolutely nothing but a sheet of rain coming down heavier than that time she saw a huge body builder slip on a patch of ice. Abby grabbed her phone to call Dora and see if she was okay.

"Dora are you there?" Abby asked into the phone worriedly. No answer came and Abby almost panicked until she heard her friends voice come in.

"Abby I'm here, do you see that rain? It's coming down hard, like really hard!" Abby gave a sound of agreement and checked the time. It was 9:10, the marathon had started and Dora spoke again.  
"I got home in time and turned on the TV to find the warning trumpeting its message on Tune Television! Do you think Devon's doing alright?!" Dora added. Abby almost smacked herself on the head, she had to call Devon.

Devon was an old friend Dora and Abby knew from college and had gotten in touch with finally. He became a sort of high priority for both girls because he was easily scared and had a fear of people in costume. You could be a school mascot or Batman himself, Devon wouldn't distinguish. He was on medicine to keep him calm until he could control his fear or at least the reaction with little to no help from meds.

Abby said goodbye to Dora and hung up, she filtered through her call directory for Devon's number. (He had called earlier in the day asking about whether Abby liked unicorns or fuchsia lamps _with_ unicorns, Abby told him neither. Unicorns and fuchsia lamps weren't her thing.) While filtering through various numbers (Abby seemed to have had a lot of people calling that day, she couldn't have even answered most of them due to work.) the room went pitch black. Abby dropped the phone and stumbled backwards in surprise, tripping over a cord while she was at it.

"Oh well isn't this just completely wonderful!" Abby said sarcastically towards no one in particular. Thunder boomed as if responding to her proclamation and if anything the rain was coming down even harder, great.

Abby was so done with today, so, so done.

**I am back from the dead, I think. I may just be a zombie! Anyways, sorry for the long wait. I have been super busy with work and I did warn the masses, chapter updates for my stories will be infuriatingly irregular. I was being serious there by the way, I have a job and oh crap, summer reading which I've read the book but I have to finish the writing/journal assignment for it. Ah summer, going by way too fast! **

** And back to the real subject at hand, I'm working on Take and Return for anyone here who has read some of that. Reviews for both stories are welcome. I am still looking for ideas on a name for the hero from chapter two and I encourage anyone who has an idea for a chapter or a mistake they may have found in my writing to include it in my review. Note that _I will not _use all ideas. Alright then, thanks for reading catch you next time! **

** Oh and one more thing, what would Gotham citizens watch on TV? I know weird question but would they watch cop shows that much because sometimes I don't think they would but you never know. I'm trying to get the feel of an average citizen of Gotham and thought that some outside views might help round them out a little more.**


	5. Chapter 5

**If I Just Lay Here, Will this City Stop Existing?**

The night before when the power outage seemed to have been about as bad as Abby's life could get but today had definitely been worse. It was so bad she might actually commit herself and call it a day.

After calling Devon and asking about how he was doing (_Fine, thank you Abby, for checking, just a bit shaken…)_ Abby had gone to work where nothing happened, at all. It was a perfectly uneventful day and the owner, Donnie decided to close early and have everybody clean the restaurant top to bottom. Finally, work ended and Abby's fridge was starting to look bare (Translation; had money, not going to eat another bowl of apple-cinnamon oatmeal for dinner again.) so she took a trip to the grocers.

Abby had gotten the usual assortment of food and was going to the check out. There, by chance, Abby caught sight of the angriest person in the world and when they turned around Abby recognized that face from a newscast, Poison Ivy. Like an idiot Abby gawked in both fear and fascination and then Poison Ivy started to walk inside. All hell broke loose and the furious woman started to move to where Abby and the cashier were. For two minutes Abby was ready to curl up in a fucking corner and die. She had seen her stare, she was going to come for her and-

But, instead of wrapping the vines which covered the store interior around Abby, Poison Ivy sent them at the cashier and in that moment Abby actually let out a quiet sigh of relief. The cashier heard it though and he looked at her with such shocked hurt that Abby could feel her legs wobbling. She should have done something, said something but instead kept her mouth shut and feet planted in place, hands clenched tightly at her side.

Like everyone else, Abby watched in horror as Poison Ivy whipped the poor man in her vine's grips out the broken windows and disappeared. A smirk adorned her almost-perfect face and all Abby could hear was the man's pleas for mercy, for help. The police arrived almost immediately, swarming the place like flies and Abby remembered a paramedic checking her over before shouting "OK," to another and moving on. The manager came out from under a table full of cookie boxes and started to talk to her employees, shaken.

Now, Abby is standing around with a basket of groceries and a coupon to the store. A bus arrives and Abby feels like she's living in a make believe world as she steps on and pays the fare. Home that is the only place Abby wants to go, not the apartment where the power is still out and the people above her don't care for their little girl and the guy downstairs still tries pinching her butt.

Home is very far from Gotham though and Abby's a big girl. She's the one who made the choice to live there and there is no way she can afford moving.

So, Abby gets off the bus and ignores the guy in apartment 4A when he tells her that he's gonna tap her ass one day. She ignores the couple above her stomping up the stairs, drunk, and steps over one of their legs when one slumps down on a step and laughs. Abby also ignores the phone ringing in her living room and instead puts her groceries away, kicks off her shoes and buries herself under the covers of her small bed. It is only 3:50pm and Abby has had enough.

**AUTHORS NOTE: I have not published anything new and for that I am sorry, no excuses. Anyways, depressing chapter I know, I think it's the music I'm listening to right now. The next few chapters should be better and if this isn't terribly good I am sorry, trying to get back into the swing of things. I do like what I did in this chapter though and I'm trying to introduce more characters as I go. **

** Well, same as always, review, like and what have you. I appreciate the tips, reviews and ideas I have gotten so far and it helps in revising what I have written. As always, if I missed something or made a mistake feel free to point them out. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Tada... New chapter, I'm still really unsure about it but I think it's pretty good. Any mistakes I may have missed or criticisms for it are welcome of course, and I'm still open to suggestions, facts I should incorporate, etc. I hope this sits well with any readers out there and as always, review, it's welcome!**

**_So Life Marches On... Slowly._**

After the grocery store incident and the moping which followed Abby bounced back as Gotham citizens were wont to do. She probably needed therapy but the same could be said for the people she passed on her way to work every day.

The problem with her moping was that she had viciously ignored any contact with other people unless she deemed it absolutely necessary and had therefore worried her friends a great deal, especially Devon, who started to fear she was angry at him. So two days after, on Sunday, Abby's apartment was invaded by Dora, who was understandably irate and Devon. Spending a day with your friends, watching Netflix and eating unhealthy food is actually a good away to unwind and de-stress, as it turns out, as does calling your close family members and crying into the phone but Abby restrained herself from doing that after her first year in Gotham.

Some form of closure appeared at the end of the following week when Batman caught up with Poison Ivy and she was hauled off to Arkham, again. The cashier who she had "lovingly" whipped out of a grocery store with was quickly put down as another one of her unfortunate victims and he was currently rehabilitating in Gotham General while the GCPD looked for some reason for his kidnapping (And whatever scary, uncomfortable and weird stuff he probably went through afterwards).

Abby occasionally got nervous around large plants and one time, when she stepped on a dandelion while out on a walk she stopped dead, lifted her foot, bent down and started whispering apologies at the plant in broad daylight before putting it upright and speed-walking away.

Today Donnie was opening the restaurant early so all of this reflecting was happening on the morning walk to work. Kyle Dulcet, a coworker, bicycled past Abby as she walked past the large and expensive looking office building housing Gotham's newest rich corporation (Which she hadn't even bothered to remember the name of because it would probably move very, very far away after realizing they can't handle the whole package that was Gotham City…)

Finally Abby made it to the restaurant which was situated in a little hub of activity where many small businesses were set up. It was a part of Old Gotham as Abby understood it and contrary to popular view of that particular section of the city, kind of nice and not as shady as many are led to believe. The area had earned such a reputation because of its "proximity" to the road that led to Arkham and also because Crime Alley was technically in Old Gotham.

If Abby had to make a list of the members of the Rogue's Gallery who tend to hang around in Old Gotham there would be three people on it; Poison Ivy, the Mad Hatter and Scarecrow. It honestly surprised Abby that the incident at the grocery store had shaken her so badly seeing as the rogue wasn't an uncommon sight in the area (Abby swears she sees the woman at the flower store across the street sometimes, cooing at the hydrangeas…) It's gotten to the point where during the annual masked festival many of them are just decorated gas masks, there's even a contest running for the most creative and practical design of the festival.

Abby joined her coworkers as they waited for Donnie to unlock the café. He lived in an apartment above but frequently forgot to let his employees in at the right time. He also tended to not tell them important information such as vacations and random days off (But sometimes Abby wondered if he just liked to see the whole staff crowd around the side doors in the middle of bad weather, wondering what the hell he was doing inside.)

Five minutes after everyone was supposed to be inside and getting ready to open Donnie finally unlocked the door with a smirk and every staff member filed inside, more or less used to his eccentricities. Soon enough the first customers shuffled in; a cop, a jogger and a tired looking businessman. Dora was already taking the order for the cop so Abby figured she might as well get to the businessman, he was a regular thankfully, they all were.

From the kitchen came the smell of breakfast and Abby sighed quietly at the sight of Pancakes. She hadn't had much of a breakfast herself, not all that willing to drag herself out of bed before she really needed to (4:00 to be exact).

The day passed in an ambling but easy manner, the middle of the week tended to go quietly as far as days in Gotham went. When Abby was let off around 8:30 she walked out tiredly, Dora had gotten off 30 minutes earlier and was presumably sequestered in her apartment painting. The sun's presence in the sky did not go unnoticed by Abby as she once again thanked no one in particular for summer's long days (Evening ritual). It was a nice, clear evening, nice enough that quite a few kids were still out and about, playing games (Though never far from home) and Abby smiled at the whole scene, moments like this weren't exactly rare but they definitely weren't common.

Before making the long haul up the steps to her floor Abby checked her mail, one credit card offer (junk), a conspiracy magazine (Not junk) and a coupon (Junk)… For the Iceberg Lounge, possibly not junk. Abby frowned at it but put the mail away in her purse, mentally promising to scour that strange offer as soon as she got home. On her way up Abby was stopped by Alice, the little girl above her, as she bounded up the steps with a smile on her face.

"Hullo there misses!" Alice said with a toothy grin, Abby noticed she had lost a tooth and smiled back at the young girl.

"Hi Alice, I see you've been out playing… Did you lose a tooth?" She responded. Alice's grin became wider and she nodded before opening her mouth, pointing at the clear spot and animatedly telling Abby about the event in a stream of words that weren't all that understandable. Eventually Abby pieced together a story about the tooth popping right out very cleanly one night when Alice was in bed and that she had almost swallowed it.

"G'bye miss Abby, I've gotta go to bed soon!" Alice eventually said and Abby smiled and waved goodbye at her as she scrambled off.

Inside Abby's apartment it was dimly lit, with exceptions to the kitchen and bathroom Abby saw no real need for bright lighting, it saved energy anyways. She was about to settle down at the table and open up her laptop when she remembered the suspicious coupon from earlier. Abby grabbed her bag and fished it out, it was fancy looking but also very generic and it was offering a discounted meal at the lounge for a group of three to four people. Abby's brow rose at this, in suspicion and derision. The price for the meal was so low that Abby might think this was for a normal restaurant and the lounge was by no means normal. Owned by "respectable businessman" (Read as rich criminal who makes, buys, sells and steals well… Everything and anything maybe) Oswald Cobblepot ("The Penguin"), it has five star dining and often serves the rich (And also criminals but nobody talks about that… Shhhhhh!)

Abby knew this might take some thinking, if she went she probably wouldn't run into any of the Rogues Gallery, they were usually allowed only on certain nights and The Penguin likely wouldn't want to put his "good relationship" with the GCPD on the line by letting in innocent civilians while a bunch of psychopaths and otherwise dangerous criminals wined and dined. But there was always a chance and Abby was a cautious person first and foremost, maybe too cautious but it was better that than dead in alleyway because she was stupid.

**One more thing readers, I was kind of iffy about cutting the chapter off here so there may be a change in the future (Closing event, etc) and a lot of this was brainstorming that I really needed to get out of my head and into the story before I forgot and moved on to another idea, just a heads up.**


	7. Chapter 7

_**WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER: HEAVY FORESHADOWING/ALLUSION OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND ADDICTION. There likely be any mention of it after this chapter in particular, mostly I needed a plot device and this is just how it ended up. **_

**Anyways, really trying to get out chapters right now! I hope this one is up to par, let me know what you think of it! You know the drill I assume so read on!**

_**Everyone has Secrets**_

Donnie's restaurant in Old Gotham was a popular stop for the people in the area, known for good food at affordable prices and somewhere to unwind whether you had just gotten a break from work or wanted to make a good impression on a date. At 10:00pm one may assume the only soul who might be in the café would be Donnie himself and you might technically be correct.

Around that time though an old fashioned, black but clearly expensive car would roll into the side alley which staff members would usually enter through and this would happen every two weeks in the same timeframe. Then out of the car first would be two women who at first glance seem the run of the mill high class call girls but of course, they were not, because it's Gotham. The after that came the owner of the vehicle himself, _The Penguin_, a tall and skinny man who was nevertheless intimidating as he carried an umbrella at his side, never mind the fact that the sky was completely clear. Not a speck of dirt was on the man who wore, ironically, a penguin suit and he also carried a black, simple looking but sturdy cane.

Donnie opened the side door with an uneasy smile, as was normal in this event and simply pressed his lips together in slight fear as The Penguin and his "call-girls" sauntered in. There was a deal to be made that night, though Donnie didn't know it quite yet.

"Now Donnie, I've done you a good many favors my friend and I feel… It is time you do me one…" The Penguin said in a slow, deceptively warm voice. Donnie's eyes widened behind the man who was currently inspecting the room while the women flipped through menus, bored.

"O- Of course, M- Mr. Cobblepot, what would it be that you need m- me to do?" Donnie said, stumbling on his words. The Penguin, whose back was towards the man, smirked and then turned around confidently.

"You have a number of people employed here, yes Donnie?" He asked in a curious tone. Donnie's brow furrowed for a moment before he responded.

"Yes Mr. Cobblepot I do…" The man seemed pleased at this admission and made a noise of acknowledgement.

"Well, I've had reports that they are a superb wait staff and I find myself… In need of a new one after losing some quality employees, do you think you might spare some for my lounge my friend?" He finally said, after a pause. This was posed as a question but Donnie knew it was really an order.

"W-Why certainly, I can do that for you sir. I'll just draw up a list if you wish—"But Donnie was cut off by the gangster.

"No, no my good man, I have some people in mind…" He said with a pleased smile, the women raised their eyes to watch Donnie's reaction, like hunters. Donnie blinked dumbly for a second.

"Oh, right, yes Mr. Cobblepot, would y-you like a drink sir?" Donnie added out of desperation. The Penguin seemed to contemplate this but then shook his head and waved at the two women to move.

"Many thanks, _Donnie_, for your kindness. I'll have some people by to pick up the staff members tomorrow afternoon, just have them in the café by then. Until next time…" He said as he and the women walked towards the door.

"Oh— how could I forget?" Cobblepot said in a shocked tone. He motioned to the woman on the left who took a small bottle of what looked like cologne out of her purse. The woman slid it across the table towards Donnie who simply stared back and forth at the now retreating group and the bottle. As soon as Donnie heard the car drive away he let out a shaky breath and massaged his head, face contorting in frustration. Then he seemed to remember the bottle on the table and snatched it up with a desperate look on his face, the itch wouldn't go away until he used it, he thought.

**I know it may seem like a small thing to put in a warning for (Or maybe not, I'm not quite sure) but better safe than sorry! I actually rewrote this part a few times and this is the vaguest I've gotten so far so...  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**Abigail Halicker and the Terrible, No Good, Obvious Plot Twist**

Abby had a tendency to fall asleep in strange places, often when it suited her. This was one of those times, Abby realized, as she woke up face first on a table, partially covered by a blanket and just missing her laptop keyboard. Her phone alarm had been sounding off luckily so Abby didn't end up waking late or worse, miss work.  
Rubbing her eyes and checking the time once again Abby made her way to the bathroom and showered. She wasn't particularly bothered by the fact that she sometimes ended up sleeping in odd or uncomfortable places anymore but drew the line at being out late at night without company or if she was already exceedingly tired for fear of falling asleep on the bus or the metro, one never knows what can happen if you do that.

Instead of walking to work that morning Abby caved and hailed a taxi, usually avoiding doing so because of traffic and because taxi prices could be a bit much if you used them too often. It also goes without saying that Gotham criminals seemed to fixate on taxi's when causing trouble, heaven knows why.

At Donnie's restaurant Abby was greeted by a rare sight, Donnie had unlocked the staff doors early. She went inside and joined Dora and two others, Jan and Simon as they slipped on aprons and grabbed menus, ready to serve customers. Donnie smiled shakily at his employees as they started to ready the café for the customers.

"Ahem, everyone, today at 12:45 exactly I want the following employees at the staff entrance; Rebecca, Kyle, Dora and Abby!" Donnie said, getting louder as he spoke. The employees in question all exchanged looks, wondering what this was about. Donnie laughed nervously and flipped the sign to open before retreating into the back. Abby grabbed a few straws next to Dora, about to say something about the announcement when the doorbell jingled.

"Ah, later I guess…" Abby said quickly before walking over to the first customer of the day, the jogger from the previous morning.

"What can I get you…? Just a cup of hot tea and— a bowl of… Cream of Wheat, alrighty then, it'll be right out!" The sound of orders being taken and the smell from the kitchen soon drifted throughout the café and Abby quickly fell into a routine, forgetting about Donnie's announcement until around 11:40 when Dora sidled up to her during a break in the customers.

"So, what do you think this morning's announcement is about? I'm a bit worried to be honest; I hope we're not being fired or something!" Dora said lowly. Abby snorted quietly and smiled at her friend before responding.

"I doubt that, it's probably something weird and menial, like unloading supplies. You know how the guy is. Look on the bright side, maybe we're getting a promotion…" Abby trailed off there and shrugged at Dora, her friend still looking suspicious of the whole thing. Abby tried not to let it bother her, Donnie could be pretty weird sometimes.

Dora harrumphed and walked off to bring an order to someone. A minute later Rebecca approached Abby with a frown.

"That was an oddly specific announcement… Do you think it's something bad?" She mused, obviously worried. Abby shrugged as she had earlier, still of the opinion that it wasn't anything significant.

"I don't think so, maybe it'll be something good, like a pay raise, but knowing Donnie it's gotta be pretty simple." At that Rebecca nodded slightly but still looked nervous. With that she went into the back, she was one of the cooks (And a pretty good one at that).

Rebecca was an odd person but Abby, like with Donnie, didn't look too much into it, she was nice enough but usually pretty quiet so you didn't hear her speak much. She also walked with a limp and while faring well in small spaces she used her cane on long treks.

As 12:45 rolled around Abby, Dora, Kyle and Rebecca were waiting at the side door patiently for Donnie. He walked in and stood on the opposite wall of the hallway they were packed into, appearing to have nothing to say. The four in front of him awaited some type of announcement, bad news or good news, but it never came and the five people endured a rather awkward silent staring match until Kyle interrupted it.

"So… Uh, how are things going with you guys? I know my days been pretty, uh, alright." He said in sarcastic tone. Rebecca pursed her lips and Dora rolled her eyes as Abby began to open her mouth.

"O-Oho, I'm just going to open the door and um, we have a visitor coming—"Donnie interceded very suddenly, as if he had just woken up to a bad fright. Then he opened the staff door and stepped out, craning his head to the side, presumably to check for the visitor.

His four employees all wore similar expressions of confusion at their bosses actions but waited quietly. After a few more (Awkward) minutes a black car pulled up, fancy but old and Donnie stepped back in. Then the back door opened and out came someone who none of them expected, The Penguin.

"Ah, Donnie— I see my new employees are ready and waiting!" 

**I really, really wanted to do this. I couldn't resist, I have no shame... Ok, maybe some! Also thinly veiled canon character here, so thinly veiled I should probably come out and say it but I won't. If you know, well you know but if you don't, worry not because I didn't even know this character existed myself until recently(ish). **

**Okay, I don't even know if the character counts as thinly veiled here, either way, enjoy! ^^/ Yes I used that, whatcha gonna do? As always, ideas, constructive criticisms, mistakes and just reviews in general are pretty welcome!**


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